Official Comcast CableCard Thread!

I am planning to pick up a 2nd S3 tivo tomorrow, given the current promotion. Does anyone have any confirmation on the pricing that I should expect to see for the 2nd unit? I currently have the free (or included)+$1.50 service already.

Is there a chance I can get $1.50 + $1.50 for the new unit?

Or is it more likely I'm going to be spending about another $10? Even with all the 90 pages here, I'm still a bit in the dark between outlet fees and per-card fees, etc.

I am planning to pick up a 2nd S3 tivo tomorrow, given the current promotion. Does anyone have any confirmation on the pricing that I should expect to see for the 2nd unit? I currently have the free (or included)+$1.50 service already.

Is there a chance I can get $1.50 + $1.50 for the new unit?

Or is it more likely I'm going to be spending about another $10? Even with all the 90 pages here, I'm still a bit in the dark between outlet fees and per-card fees, etc.

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You should pay an additional digital outlet fee plus another $1.50 fee for the second CableCARD.

due to the upcoming cutoff of analog in chicago, we decided to upgrade to digital cable. we got the new basic "digital starter" package with 2 cablecards and the install was set for this past saturday. i stressed that this was for a S3 and that i needed 2 cablecards. of course, the tech shows up without any cablecards and has to call back to the office to have someone else bring them by. the workorder explicitly stated the need for 2 cablecards, so it was simply a matter of the tech not reading the work order and being prepared.

the tech had never done a cablecard install nor seen a S3 before, so i didn't have high hopes. but, once we got the cards, everything went pretty well. the tech popped them both in (against tivo instructions), but they were authorized quickly and after a few hits and 161-4 errors, all of our channels were coming in just fine. repeated guided setup and now we are all set. so success in chicago.

Are you in the city or suburbs? I guess I'm concerned too since I only subscribe to the analog basic package that also gets me the local HD channels. However, I am also getting all of the analog channels 2-99 since I have HSI, even though I don't pay for them, but it sounds like at some point they will be toast and all I'll get is digital 187-192. If so, that would deter me from upgrading to the S3. Also, when this happens, won't my S2 DT boxes be totally worthless?

Are you in the city or suburbs? I guess I'm concerned too since I only subscribe to the analog basic package that also gets me the local HD channels. However, I am also getting all of the analog channels 2-99 since I have HSI, even though I don't pay for them, but it sounds like at some point they will be toast and all I'll get is digital 187-192. If so, that would deter me from upgrading to the S3. Also, when this happens, won't my S2 DT boxes be totally worthless?

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i'm in the city. my lineup is Comcast SW 1, 4 & 5 rebuild, if that helps. my understanding is that the local stations will continue to be broadcast after july 1, but all the other extended channels will be cutoff. they have come up with a "digital starter" package which is pretty much the same as their standard analog package. the major change will be in having to have a digital STB for each tv and for your S2 DTs. i'm not sure if that means your DT will only be limited to recording one channel at a time.

Comcast in Chicago is telling me that I need to pay 23.99 / card (So two cards in the S3) for installation but no monthly charges... what do you guys say to that? Why is it different everywhere? Does it change every day?

Okay just got off the phone with comcast again. They are saying that the cablecard is 23.99 installed. But they are saying too that there is a TIVO Specific cable card and that has a 1.50 per month rental fee. Are we being penalized for using Tivo vs their DVR????? I'm in the process now of seeing what the real 'difference' is between these two cards. The CS rep said that it was released about 6 months ago and it makes things 'better' for the TiVo... This whole thing is really angering me! Why can't be standardized all across the board?!

You got a misinformed CSR. There is not TiVo specific CableCARD. TiVo uses the same CableCARD as your TV, just it uses 2 of them instead of one.

Maybe they are saying the new Motorola M-Stream cards don't work with TiVo yet and they need to charge you some different rate for 2 S-Stream cards.

I think they are just confused. Keep calling back until you get a straight answer. Most people are getting the first CableCARD included in their package and leasing the 2nd CableCARD for $1.50 a month. Some people are being charged additional outlet fees in the $5-$7 range for one or more of the cards, but the general consensus is this is not correct billing but it could take a while to find a CSR who both agrees with you and has the ability to fix it.

Alright, haha I asked if she could double check with someone and she said that's fine and when she came back, I got the answer you posed sfhub... 1 cable card is free, then the other is 1.50/month rental.

Another weird thing, she said that I couldn't have an HD Tuner box (For PPV and OnDemand) in the same room. I was thinking I could connect that to another input on my receiver (ie: Video 2), then have the Tivo running as well so that if I wanted to do OnDemand, I could. She said there would be some sort of conflict. Oh well.

Another weird thing, she said that I couldn't have an HD Tuner box (For PPV and OnDemand) in the same room. I was thinking I could connect that to another input on my receiver (ie: Video 2), then have the Tivo running as well so that if I wanted to do OnDemand, I could. She said there would be some sort of conflict. Oh well.

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There is no conflict. The CSR is talking gibberish. If you want it, just tell them it's for another TV, et. al. Don't confuse them with concepts of multiple inputs on a single TV, etc.

What would you say is the 'definition' of your primary TV? Is that the main one in your household? So even if my S3 has 2 cablecards in them, I can still get an HD box for free and just use coax splitters perhaps?

What would you say is the 'definition' of your primary TV? Is that the main one in your household? So even if my S3 has 2 cablecards in them, I can still get an HD box for free and just use coax splitters perhaps?

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btwyx said:

For some value of "free". The box is free, then they charge you an extra digital outlet fee.

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With Comcast, it probably depends on your local office. When I had the tech out to install the CCs, I asked him to make a notation on the work order that my DCT-6200 box is installed on same TV as my S3 (primary TV). The next bill showed 2 additional outlet charges. Then I went down to my local office, showed them the FAQ a copy of the work order with the notation, and they are not charging me any additional outlet fees. I did want an HD box (DCT-6200) so I am paying $5/mo more for that but a regular cable box would have been free.

Life with Comcast is such fun, there is never a dull moment. I switched to the Comcast Triple Play Premier Level Service (virtually all channels) two months ago for a package price of $159, with a promise of NO additinal charges for two cable cards or Additional A/O.

All was fine for two months, when all of a sudden in the last bill they charged me for an additional A/O for the month, and back charged me for the prior two months.

I called Comcast and they acknowledged that this was a mistake and they would give me credits and take care of the problem.

They took care of it all right! Suddenly I had full service on one cablecard, and only basic service on the other. I called them again and the CSR said that they would have to send a technician out to check it. I argued and finally said forget it. Half hour later I called back and got a different CSR, and he checked the system and said he could see what the problem was, but wasn't sure how to fix it. He said he would talk to his supervisor and they would figure out how to correct it and call me back.